Diocese: Diocese of the Midwest
Deanery: Chicago Deanery
Address
607 Ravenswood Drive
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54302
Website: smocgb.com
Office: 920-455-0744
Parish Contacts
Lay Leadership
Directions
General Location
St. Matthew Church is on the Eastside of Green Bay, at the corner of Ravenswood Drive and Calvin Drive.
From Green Bay
Take Mason Street east, turn left onto East Town Way, make a left onto Finger Road and then a right onto Ravenswood Drive.
From Milwaukee
Go north on I-43 for 110 miles. Take exit 183 to E Mason St and turn left onto E. Mason. Approximately 1.5 miles later, turn right onto East Town Way, make a left onto Finger Road and then a right onto Ravenswood Drive.
From Iron, Mountain, MI
Go south on US-141 to the outskirts of Green Bay. Continue south on US-41 south to County Rd V/E Mason St in Green Bay. Merge onto I-43 S via exit 171. Take exit 183 to E Mason St and turn left onto E. Mason. Approximately 1.5 miles later, turn right onto East Town Way, make a left onto Finger Road and then a right onto Ravenswood Drive.
From Appleton
Go north on US-41 to the outskirts of Green Bay. Take Exit 165 to WI-172 E toward I-43. Merge onto I-43 N via the exit on the left toward Sturgeon Bay. Take the Mason St W exit, Exit 183. Turn left onto E. Mason. Approximately 1.5 miles later, turn right onto East Town Way, make a left onto Finger Road and then a right onto Ravenswood Drive.
From the west (Shawano, Wausau, etc)
Take WI-29 east to the outskirts of Green Bay and merge onto US-41 via ramp on left toward Oconto/Peshtigo/Marinette. Merge onto I-43 S via exit 171 toward Milwaukee. Take Mason St W exit, Exit 183 toward downtown. Merge onto E Mason St. Turn right onto East Town Way, make a left onto Finger Road and then a right onto Ravenswood Drive.
Schedule of Services
5:00 PM Great Vespers.
Saturday Evening
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy (preceded by Hours or Matins) followed by Fellowship Hour.
Sunday Morning
6:00 PM Daily Vespers followed by Adult Education
Wednesday Evening
6:00 PM Festal Vigil
Eves of Feast Days
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Feast Days
Confessions are heard after Great Vespers on Saturday Evenings and by appointment.
Confessions
For Holy Days and other events, please visit the parish website. To arrange for ministrations or other services of the Church, call 920-455-0744 or email pastor@smocgb.com
Parish Background
Located in northeastern Wisconsin at the confluence of the Fox River and the Bay of Green Bay, the city of Green Bay is the county seat of Brown County, and is an inland port for Great Lakes and foreign ships and for numerous privately owned vessels as well, which cruise the waters of Lake Michigan and beyond.
Currently, Green Bay, the third largest city in Wisconsin, enjoys an unemployment rate below that of the national average, and depends on the addition of persons living outside the community for an adequate supply of workers. Census data indicates that Green Bay, Brown County and the Fox Valley have continued to increase in population. Much of this growth is attributed to employment opportunities. Driving time to Milwaukee is 2 to 2 1/2 hours and to Chicago is 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The drive to Minneapolis / St Paul is 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Major airlines use the city’s attractive, modern airport to provide connections to major transortation centers.
We have two major fundraising events in the fall. We host a retreat annually
for our members and the community with different speakers and topic each
year. We are a growing and vibrant community.
One of the major advantages of living in the area is the nearness to many Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula Michigan lakes, rivers, and other recreational areas, for camping, boating, canoeing, water sports, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and skiing. The presence of the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, St Norbert’s College, and the Area Vocational-Technical Center is a significant educational / vocational plus.
The St Matthew Orthodox Church serves Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and Door County. The parish was founded in Appleton at the request of a group of dedicated lay people and through the priestly ministrations of Archimandrite Hilary (Madison). When a shift in dominant membership from Appleton to Green Bay occured, the new Orthodox community began to meet in rented quarters in Green Bay. During all this time, until 1992, Fr Hilary faithfully and sacrifically served the mission, enduring many hours every weekend of riding public transportation back and forth from Chicago.
At the request of Fr Hilary and His Beatitude Metropolitan THEODOSIUS, who was Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the Midwest at the time, Fr Michael Herrick, PhD, a priest and psychologist attached to St Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, was appointed as the first resident priest, beginning July 1, 1992. This was made possible by a 3-year grant from the Diocesan Department of Missions. While limited by the rented space and its use by others as well, more of the Liturgical Year began to be celebrated. The attendance at the worship services began to increase, and new people began to hear, learn about and be converted to the Orthodox Faith. During this time in our history (1992-1999), it was necessary for Fr Michael to rely on secular employment for most of his income. While resident and accessable, he functioned on a half-time and later on a full-time basis as a psychologist in the local State maximum security Prison to help support himself. He is now retired from the State.
As part of the growth picture, in October of 1994, a building was purchased and provides space for both a temple and church hall. Now, at last, the Church Year can be celebrated appropriately, and this alone is a major change in the nature and functioning of the St Matthew Community. Many of our people live as far as 30 to 50 miles or more from the church, and their faithful attendance continues to be a sacrifice blessed by God.
Guests and new members typically experience a very warm welcome at St Matthew’s. The activities of the Church, in addition to our worship schedule (see above), includes Sunday Christian Education for children, teens, and adults; Introduction to Orthodox Christianity classes; individualized Chrismation instruction; pastoral counseling, food for the poor; the annual patish meeting, monthly meetings of the Parish Council, an annual parish picnic, work days at the church (usually Saturdays); three fund raising events in the Summer and Fall, and the annual St Matthew Dinner. In 1996 the Mission sponsored the beginning of a yearly rotation of Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers among the Orthodox Churches in Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Iron Mountain, Minocqua, and Green Bay, involving Greek, Antiochian, and OCA participants. As major outreach events, a presentation to the public on Orthodoxy by a nationally-known speaker, followed by a workshop for Orthodox on Evangelism, were sponsored in 1996.
The mission was named a parish by His Grace, Bishop JOB in 2003. After 20 years in the small building on Redwood Avenue, in 2014, the community purchased a former Presbyterian church building on Ravenswood Drive on the east side of Green Bay. This new building has been renovated and improved in many ways since then. Particularly, the parish has transformed the worship space with classic Orthodox icon frescoes.
The parish continues to be a beacon of the Orthodox faith in Northeastern Wisconsin as the only Orthodox Christian parish within 60 miles of Green Bay. Glory to God for all things!
